Nigerian Chicken Stir-Fry with Suya Spice

About This Recipe

Suya is one of Nigeria's most recognizable street foods — skewered meat coated in yaji, a spiced ground peanut blend, and grilled over open flame by vendors found in nearly every city and town. This stir-fry adapts that same bold spice profile into a format that comes together entirely on the stovetop. The technique leans on searing the chicken hard and fast in a very hot pan so it develops real color rather than steaming, then finishing with the vegetables and a final toss with garlic to bring everything together. The crushed peanut garnish at the end echoes the peanut coating found on traditional suya skewers. It's a faster, weeknight-friendly way to bring the distinctive smoky, spicy, nutty flavor of suya to the table without needing a grill or skewers.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gboneless chicken breast or thigh(sliced thin)
• 2 tbspsuya spice (yaji)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1onion(sliced)
• 1red bell pepper(sliced)
• 1green bell pepper(sliced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 2 tbsppeanuts(crushed, for serving)
• 1lime(cut into wedges)

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the chicken

   Toss the sliced chicken with suya spice and half the salt, coating evenly. Let sit 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Heat the pan

   Heat oil in a wide skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering.

3. 3

   Sear the chicken

   Add the chicken in a single layer and sear 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.

4. 4

   Cook the vegetables

   In the same pan, add onion and both bell peppers with the remaining salt. Stir-fry 4-5 minutes, until softened but still with some bite.

5. 5

   Combine and finish

   Return the chicken to the pan along with garlic, tossing 1-2 minutes until everything is hot and well combined. Scatter crushed peanuts over the top and serve with lime wedges.

   Don't overcrowd the pan when searing the chicken — work in batches if needed so it browns instead of steaming.

Variations

• •

  Grill the chicken on skewers instead of stir-frying for a more traditional suya presentation.

• •

  Use beef strips instead of chicken for classic suya flavor.

• •

  Serve over jollof rice instead of on its own for a fuller meal.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet to re-crisp the chicken rather than using a microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions